Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Spirit Curing Pet Clinic.

  Sun Xiaomeng was sitting alone in her office, contemplating with her chin rested on her hands.

  In front of her, the computer screen was displaying two documents: one was a PDF file in English about animal behaviorism, and the other one was a Word file where the cursor was blinking. It was the Chinese version of the PDF file which was translated by a translation software.

  On her right side, a pot of bracket plant on the windowsill was bathing in the soft autumn sunshine and growing healthily, bringing vigor to this quiet and simple office.

  Behind her was a customized bookshelf that almost covered the whole wall. The bookshelf was stuffed with all kinds of professional books. Voluminous books that were as thick as dictionaries were put on the bottom, regular academic books were placed on the top shelves where she could reach them by raising her hands, and in the prime position in the middle were the latest journals and magazines in Chinese and in English. If she was going to relocate her clinic in the future, it would take much effort to move this bookshelf alone.

  It was not accurate to say that she was in contemplation: she was absent-minded. Her brain was completely vacant, a status she enjoyed very much, because she could temporarily get away from her busy schedule in the clinic and her studies so that her brain could get a rest.

  Knock, knock!

  She was woken up from her vacant status by a knock on her office door.

  “Come in.” She rubbed her palms and placed her warm palms on her cheeks so that her stiff face became softer.

  Wang Qian and Li Kun pushed the door open, but they didn’t come in. They just stood at the door and said, “Sister Xiaomeng, we have cleaned everywhere else except your office. Would you like to check up our work?”


  Sun Xiaomeng didn’t ask them to clean this office because her “patients’” medical records were placed on her desk, and she was afraid that they would mess them up. Besides, she was the only one who usually came in this office, so it was not dirty at all.

  “No, I won’t check. You can leave earlier if you have finished your work.” She trusted them and was satisfied with their work. Cleaning for a clinic was heavy work, but they had done it really well.

  In the beginning, Sun Xiaomeng was really disgusted by their stupid talking, and for a time, she really wanted to tell them not to come to her clinic anymore. But later, she found that they were very responsible at work, and since they had experience working for a pet shop, they were also good at taking care of pets. Their stupid talking was dwarfed by their excellent work, so she gradually got used to their presence in her clinic.

  “Okay, we are leaving then.” They said goodbye to Sun Xiaomeng and closed the door softly.

  They didn’t leave the clinic right away. Instead, they went to the cashier and cozied up to Long Xian again. It was obvious that they quite liked the new nurse. Why? Probably because Long Xian was very patient and could tolerate their stupid talking, though in the eyes of Sun Xiaomeng, Long Xian was just being polite.

  After a while, their voices disappeared. They probably had left the clinic and went back to the university for classes.

  Knock, knock!

  Someone was knocking at the door again.

  “Come in.”


  Long Xian pushed open the door and stuck in her head, “Sister Xiaomeng, Wu Yue is here. I have brought her to the operating room.”


  “Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.”


  Sun Xiaomeng checked the calendar on her computer, and pulled a medical records file from the cubbyholes on her desk. She put it under one arm, walked out of the office quickly, made a right turn and then arrived at the operating room.

  “Hello, Doctor, I’m here to trouble you again.”


  In the operating room was a middle-aged woman holding a flight case. She was dressed up elegantly, wearing a beige woolen coat that fit her well and a pale blue scarf that suited her temperament. She seemed well-educated from her behaviors and the way she talked.

  “Madam Wu, you are punctual as always.” Sun Xiaomeng smiled at her cordially. Wu Yue was her long-term client, and she had been visiting her clinic every day recently.

  “I am very sorry to trouble you every day,” said Wu Yue very politely.

  “What are you talking about? I’m just doing my job.” Sun Xiaomeng had a very good impression of Wu Yue, not only because of her temperament and the way she talked, but also because of her decision.

  Sun Xiaomeng looked out the window, “It’s a nice day today, but according to the weather forecast, tomorrow will be windy with temperature drops. Please keep warm and don’t catch a cold.”


  “Really? Thanks for reminding me. I will put on more clothes tomorrow.” Wu Yue smiled gently.

  “Also, please keep Little White warm,” Sun Xiaomeng reminded her.

  “Yes, absolutely.” Wu Yue put the flight case in her hands on the ground and opened the case. She held up a Pekingese dog from the case.

  The Pekingese dog gazed at Sun Xiaomeng with its black-and-white eyes open wide, sticking its tongue out fawningly towards Sun Xiaomeng. It seemed quite perky.

  “Hello, Little White, how are you?” Sun Xiaomeng rubbed its chin and it barked twice. Little White enjoyed when she got close to it.

  Little White was a normal Pekingese dog that was wearing a pair of special shorts for dogs on its butt—this was quite normal, because many dog owners would put such shorts on their pets for many different reasons. For example, when the dogs were on their menstrual periods, or when the owners didn’t want their dogs to be sterilized nor did they want their dogs to get pregnant, or when their dogs were sick…


  Sun Xiaomeng held up Little White to the operating table, and Wu Yue put her hands on its body and touched it softly to stop it from moving. Little White was lying with its stomach on the table without moving or barking. Little White was not like this the first time it was here – it tried to run away a couple of times after seeing all the strange-looking tools and the cold stainless-steel operative instruments.

  Sun Xiaomeng opened the file and looked at Little White’s case. Though she could almost recite what was in there, she read through the file seriously out of respect to Wu Yue.

  “Is Little White’s diet schedule and bowel movements normal?” She put on the disposable rubber gloves and started the regular inquiry as diagnosis.

  “Yes, I totally follow the diet standard made by you,” answered Wu Yue earnestly. Sun Xiaomeng formulated nutritional meals with ingredients precise to the unit of gram according to Little White’s age and weight. Little White seemed to be in good spirits recently, and it was probably due to Sun Xiaomeng’s nutritional menu.

  “Good to know.” Sun Xiaomeng took out a small flashlight from the pocket of her white gown, turned it on and observed closely Little White’s eyes, nose, and ear canals. She then pinched its chin to observe its tongue and throat.

  She nodded towards Wu Yue, indicating everything was normal.

  Sun Xiaomeng took off the dog shorts worn by Little White. There was medical cotton and medical gauze circling Little White’s stomach and the binding was stabilized by medical tape. The furs around its stomach were shaved so short that its pink skin was visible. A bit of transparent plastic tube was sticking out from beneath the cotton.

  Wu Yue turned away her head. She couldn’t bear to see it like this.

  Sun Xiaomeng took out Vaseline from the medicine cabinet and applied it on the anal thermometer to test the body temperature of Little White.

  Since they had been meeting every day, Little White felt very close to Sun Xiaomeng and almost treated her as its second owner. Though it shuddered a bit, it lay on the operating table still and didn’t struggle or run away.

  Two minutes later, Sun Xiaomeng pulled out the anal thermometer and looked at the temperature indicated on it.

  “How is it?” Wu Yue asked anxiously.

  Sun Xiaomeng nodded towards Wu Yue again and smiled, “Its body temperature is normal. Little White is in good condition.”


  Wu Yue exhaled one long breath, and relaxed for the first time since they met.